Concerning Boggarts
by yindream
Summary: NinexRose oneshot. The Doctor and Rose land on another planet and the Doctor finds an interesting wardrobe. Hope you enjoy. Light T


Disclaimer: if only... oh well. Hope you enjoy

The wardrobe rattled, banging against the wall slightly. The Doctor looked at it for a moment before pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He scanned the wardrobe and then looked at his screwdriver. He didn't know what it was. He grinned widely. Fantastic.

He looked behind him, wondering where Rose had run off to but shrugged. He would find her in a moment. First to find out what was in the wardrobe. He pointed his sonic again and the lock clicked as the door swung open.

Rose stepped out. The Doctor frowned.

"Rose, what are you doing in a closet. Why is it that you always get locked in some random place and I have to rescue you. Can't you-Rose?" The Doctor looked at her. She hadn't spoken yet and her eyes where unfocused. She looked in pain. He stepped forward but froze when she seemed to focus on him. She looked accusatory.

"Rose? Rose! What's wrong?

"Doctor," His name sounded wrong when she said it. He frowned.

"Rose..."

"Why, Doctor? Why'd'ya do it?"

"Why what?"

"Why did'ya kill me?"

"What!?" Doctor knew something wasn't right. But what? He didn't even know what planet they were on. "I didn't-your not dead," he argued. She raised and eyebrow and the Doctor noticed something that he hadn't before. Or maybe it wasn't there before. On her shirt. The front of her shirt was dark., like... blood.

"Rose!" He tried to step forward again but her words stopped him.

"It's too late. I'm dead. You killed me."

"Rose-"

"You had to go off, didn't you. Had be the hero. But you didn't think. You never do."

"Rose," he pleaded. "Rose, let me help you."

"It's too late." Rose staggered.

"It's never too late. I don't even-I never left you," Doctor argued, slightly pleading

"You don't remember? How could you Doctor? You killed me." Rose was on her knees now.

"No, I didn't-I never-I wouldn't-Rose!" She collapsed and lay motionless. Something was wrong. She wasn't dead. He had just seen her. She wasn't-but she was right there. She felt wrong. It didn't feel like Rose. But she was dead. He had killed her.

He couldn't think. He couldn't focus-what was wrong-she was dead-no, it wasn't Rose-but she was there she was dead-but-

The Doctor gripped his head and turned away from the Rose-the Rose he killed. He needed to think. Rose. Rose!

"Doctor?" He turned. But not towards Rose, towards the door. And there was Rose. It was Rose. His name sounded right. It was her. But-

He whirled around. Dead Rose. Rose.

"Rose."

"What's going on, Doctor? That's-that's..." with eyes wide, she gestured to her other self, covered in blood.

"You're alive." He could breathe. Rose was alive. Whoever that was behind him, it wasn't Rose. She wasn't dead. He hadn't ki-.

"Can't get ride of me." The Doctor smiled bitterly at the irony of that line.

"Oh Rose," he strode forward and hugged her hard. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.

"It's alright. It's ok. I'm fine. I'm fine" she said softly, rubbing her hand reassuringly across his back. It was only then that he realized he was shaking.

"Oh Rose," he whispered into her hair.

"'S alright," she replied reassuringly."Do you know what planet we're on, Doctor?"

"Haven't figured that out yet."

"But why is there a dead me? Where'd it come from?"

"The wardrobe. It was rattling about so I opened it-"

"'Course you did"

"-and you stepped out and started..." he trailed off, gesturing at the dead Rose.

"But why is it me? Why am I bleeding?"

"'Cause you're dead. 'Cause I killed you." The Doctor said, his throat feeling tight. Rose let out a small noise and he looked at her.

"What? You know something I don't?"

"Doctor, I think I know what it is." Rose said softly. The Doctor frowned.

"What is it then?" The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest and waited as she hesitated.

"I think... I think it's a boggart." The Doctor started to scoff but thought about it. It could be possible, kind of. There could be creatures similar to boggarts.

"Reckon this is Hogwarts then?" he asked, only half serious. It was unlikely that this was actually Hogwarts.

"S'pose so," Rose shrugged. The Doctor turned, changed the settings and pointed his sonic at the supposed boggart.

"Ridicculous." And the thing vanished. Then maybe it was...The Doctor tucked away his sonic screwdriver and turned to Rose. She was looking at him with a look on her face like she was seeing through him. He looked away.

"Right, backs to the TARDIS then?" And he walked through the door. Rose followed, still staring at him. Any other day, the Doctor would never leave a place like this until he properly explored. Real life magic and all that. But not today. Not with Rose staring at him with a million questions in her eyes. He needed to get away so they could both forget about it. When they got in, the Doctor started fiddling and Rose leaned up against the console, watching him.

"Doctor," she said slowly.

"What?" He said gruffly, still not looking at her.

"Your boggart-"

"Strictly speaking, it probably wasn't a boggart considering-"

"Doctor. Your boggart is you greatest fear, yeah?" The Doctor grumbled and shrugged.

"It's me, dyin'."

"No." Rose looked surprised and the Doctor finally looked up at her.

"It's you dying because of me. It's you dying with it being my fault. That one day I might kill you." He said heavily. Rose blinked rapidly at the tears in the corner of her eyes. She stepped forward and hugged him, burying her head in his shoulder again.

"Oh Doctor. My Doctor, it's ok. I forgive you." The Doctor's breath caught in his throat as he looked down at her confused.

"Rose, you know what?"

"What?"

"You're fantastic." The Doctor grinned and Rose grinned back with her tongue between her teeth. The Doctor put his hands on her shoulders and before his brain could argue, he leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He slid his arms around her waist and tilted his mouth against. When he pulled back, he grinned down at her.

Maybe they would go explore Hogwarts after all.

"Fantastic."


End file.
